ILLITERACY IN UGANDA

It is estimated that 6.9 million adults are illiterate in Uganda with 5.5 million of the women and 1.4, men. The FAL (Functional Adult Literacy) programme which is seen as a key learning tool for knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required by human beings to develop their capacities and to participate fully in development was introduced in Uganda for purposes of reducing the illiteracy rates.
(NALSIP)

A functionally literate person is one that can engage in activities in which literacy is required for effective functioning of his/her skills, to continue to use reading, writing and calculation for his/her own and community development.
(FAL manual)

Bushenyi is one of the districts in Uganda and it is found in the western part of Uganda. According to the case study given, it has been found that it has one of the highest illiteracy rates. However, the residents there are reluctant to enrol for National Functional Adult Literacy programmes and they claim they are “too old to learn”. In trying to convince the people of Bushenyi to accept adult literacy as a way of enabling them to acquire life skills and other important subject matter, a facilitator can use a number of appeals to convince the people to accept as discussed below;


The emotional appeal can be used and this targets people’s emotions and feelings so that the message is accepted and acted upon. This appeal arouses people’s feelings of sympathy, self pity, kindness either within the individual or to an individual.
The facilitator in this case can there fore use this appeal by having an open friendly relationship with the people in the Bushenyi community, by listening to their views, accepting their opinions about the Functional Adult Literacy programme and having dialogue or discussion freely without any fear about how the programme can be revised to meet their needs.
This emotional appeal helps to make people feel accepted and the importance of having equal views like other people and this would make them feel that they were part of designing the programme and will eventually increase the enrolment in the FAL programme.

However, the emotional appeal can not be used in isolation to motivate the Bushenyi people who feel they are “too old to learn” for even if they were part of the designing, they could easily think that learning is tiresome, boring, dragging and that is why the humour appeal would come in handy to complement the emotional appeal and this would not only be for entertainment purposes but also to the people that learning can be interesting.
This could be done in form of a play which depicts two people in the brick making business. The first actor could be a person who heard about the FAL programme, grabbed the chance with both hands and decided to enrol in the learning sessions in which he got knowledge of life skills like being able to count, read and write the records concerning the number of bricks made, their dimensions and cost of producing them in order to determine the profit margin. The second actor would still be in the brick making business, heard about the FAL programme but deliberately shunned the opportunity. An investor comes with a fat order and first goes to the illiterate brick maker but he fails to communicate effectively with the investor thus losing out on such a great opportunity. The investor has no choice but to look for someone else and on his way finds community members who direct him to the literate brick maker who finally gets the opportunity of a life time and his business advances tremendously and all this is done dramatically.
This would not only make the people to be happy through the laughter that could be caused by the dramatic scenes in the play but it is also common knowledge that what is seen visually tends to last in people’s memories and when these people go back home, they could tell others about how interesting the FAL programme is and this would eventually increase enrolment.

There could be the danger of people losing focus on the message that is being delivered and concentrating all their energies on the entertaining parts while using the humour appeal. Besides, the humour appeal is subjective in that it depends on someone’s mood and therefore the people of Bushenyi who feel they are “too old to learn”, who probably have very many problems at home and others who think they have outgrown their fun days may need another form of appeal that could encourage their enrolment. This is where the factual/logical appeal would come in handy to put emphasis on the message especially from the play and the need for action.
Therefore, it would be advisable that the literacy instructor goes to the learning session with learning aids for example chalk, blackboard, handouts, markers, flip charts.
The blackboard could be used to note a few lessons that have been got from the play, with the help of chalk; the flip charts plus the newsprint would have facts about the importance of FAL for example;
- Revelations of the people that participated in the FAL programme and have been successful for they are able to access and utilise information in print for modernising the different sectors they may be involved in for example agriculture, improving health, water, sanitation, micro-finance and primary education.

- The fact that illiteracy is a major barrier to reducing and eradicating poverty and thus making them recognise that literacy is not just about the mechanics of reading and writing but also about personal dignity, the right to participate, the empowerment of the marginalised and the excluded and the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways and settings both formal and informal as per the evaluation of adult literacy programmes in 1999.
These logical or reasonable arguments may persuade the people of Kanungu to accept the message.
It should be noted however that is very essential for these arguments to be presented to the people in a very clear and systematic manner and preferably their local language too so that they are not easily intimated by the foreign languages or statistics they may not understand thus rejecting the message.



The two sided appeal as well during the Functional Adult Literacy programmes especially in a situation where one has presented the facts about the programme is very essential for although it has very many benefits as may be presented from the facts, there could be losses, weaknesses or challenges that could come with the enrolment in the FAL programme.
If the people of Bushenyi are presented with only the facts which could eventually convince them to join and they later find out that there are side effects to their joining, they would probably leave the programme never to return.
It is therefore important to tell the people of Bushenyi that joining the FAL programme can be extremely time consuming and it would require them to forego certain activities or even reducing on the time that they would have used for those other activities to participate in the programme for example spending almost the whole day in the garden, meeting for certain social gatherings and the men too would have to be very accommodative of their wives who have enrolled in the programme and help them in certain daily activities such looking after the children and not to be too hard on them when supper that is usually ready by 8:00pm is now ready at 9:00pm.
The people of Bushenyi could also be told that the skills of literacy may take long before being acquired therefore they had to be very patient.
It would also be useful to tell the Bushenyi community that it would be quite expensive to join the FAL programme for they would need some learning materials like books, pens to write down what they have understood during the learning sessions.
This programme may not be able to make learners who are used to traditional methods to adjust accordingly therefore if they wanted to really gain from the programme; they needed to be extremely hardworking.
The above would improve people’s understanding so that they are able to develop their own critical analysis of the situation at hand, develop skills in not only decision making but also problem solving.


In conclusion, no single appeal can be used to make the people of Bushenyi who feel that they are “too old to learn” to enrol for the Functional Adult Literacy programmes and they could have different reasons for feeling that way though in actual sense they may not be old at all. Therefore it would be important for the Functional Adult Literacy instructor who views learning as “life long” to try all possible ways to make sure the message is accepted for the betterment of the human race and the country’s development as a whole thus the integration of the different appeals as discussed above.













REFERENCES

Dimbleby Richard and G. Burton (3rd edition, 1998): More than Words: An Introduction to Communication. Routledge, London

Functional Adult Literacy Training Manual (2nd edition, 1996). Ministry of Gender and Community Development. Kampala, Uganda. The New Vision Printing and Publishing Corporation.

National Adult Literacy Strategic Investment Plan (May, 2002). Kampala, Uganda. Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social development.

COMMUNICATING WITH THOSE IN THE SPIRIT WORLD

Who are we? Why are we here? What happens when we die? Is there life after death? If so, what is that like? These are perennial questions asked by many, and there are many answers. The question of the continuity of life, or the survival of the personality, is studied by philosophers, teachers, scientists, religious leaders, and people in every walk of life.
How long after passing can a spirit person make contact?
The short answer is immediately. There is nothing stopping us from contacting our loved ones the minute we leave our physical bodies. Having said that, however, people who have no knowledge of the continuation of life may take a little longer to adjust to their new surroundings, meet with family and friends and when they realise they can contact their families left on earth, they will seek the necessary help to do so. A medium, or someone who has extensive knowledge of spirit communication, will know what has happened and will adjust very quickly to their new life and can make contact as soon as they wish.
It must be remembered that not everyone has developed their psychic faculties to the extent that they can link with the people in the spirit world and, therefore, to communicate with spirit a medium is required. It is a sad fact that many people who have just lost someone they dearly love sit, waiting and watching for some form of contact from that person. That soul could be there trying to make direct contact but unless the required energies are available, as with mediumship, then it is not, and cannot happen.
However, there is nothing stopping you, or anyone else for that matter, from finding a reputable and/or recommended medium at any time after the passing of a loved one, and making it possible for them to commentate, should they so wish. A visit to your local Spiritualist Church is another avenue worth investigating as it is possible a contact may be made amongst the many which take place within the service. There are also a number of spiritual sites on the Internet in which readings take place and could be another opening for contact to occur.
In the late 1800s, many people felt they had the answer to this question, and that they had experienced proof of the existence of the personality after death. Spiritualism was at its peak of popularity, and mediumship was providing answers to questions about life after death. This study will explore the beliefs of the Spiritualists in that time period, and provide their answers to what the spirit world is, how it operates, and how it looks. Questions like the following will be answered. Where do we go after the physical body dies? What are our initial experiences like? Where do we live? Do we eat? What kind of clothing do we wear? Do we see people we know? What do we do? What happens to children when they die? What about pets? How does the landscape appear?
The early Spiritualists had answers to all these questions, obtained through mediumship. Some information came from deceased loved ones through a medium to relatives and friends. More detailed descriptions came through from Spiritualists after they passed "through the veil." Sometimes questions were put by researchers to a medium who received answers from sources in the spirit world. Naturally, some information is contradictory. For example, one source may say that food is not necessary; another will say that only fruit is eaten. Reports often vary with the personality that is communicating. This study will consolidate these descriptions, and give a picture of Summerland, or the spirit world, as it appeared to Spiritualists in the late 1800s.
Major religions believe in some form of life after death. Spiritualism carries this one step further, by saying that life after death is a fact, proven by mediumship, or communication with those in the spirit world. As a Spiritualist, I believe that is indeed possible to communicate with those whose physical bodies have died. The personality and soul live on, and sometimes those in spirit can get in touch with those who are still living on the earth plane. Not only have I had experiences myself, I have had contact with many others who have had similar events happen. My reading about evidence for life after death, and that we do indeed live on, has been extensive. There are many anecdotal accounts, and studies undertaken in a scientific manner. This paper is based on my assumption that we do live after death, and there is a spirit world.
Mediumship, or spirit communication, is not always accurate. A good medium is probably right about 70% of the time. Some have an accuracy rate that is closer to 90%; others are often just lucky, and may rely on psychic ability or the reactions of the person they are working with.
There are many factors at work here. The spirit may be new at communicating, and have trouble getting through. He or she may only know what they are experiencing at the time; just because one has died does not make him all knowing. The medium may have his or her own biases, or may not have the words to accurately communicate what the spirit is describing. The medium may simply be tired that day. This study points this out in many instances. There is agreement in general, but specific details of life in the spirit world are often different.
There is a parallel with the study of near death experiences. There are a number of common factors in this kind of experience, but not everyone has them all, and the details vary. The reasons for this are unknown, but in my opinion we all bring our own knowledge, biases, and experiences to what happens. Mediumship is no different.
There is a wide range of perspectives on the issue of spirit communication. At one end are those who believe that there is no God, or creative force, and that when you die, that is the end of everything. At the other end of the spectrum are those who believe that life indeed does go on, in another form, and that it is possible to communicate between the physical and spiritual worlds. Some believe that when the physical body dies, you wait in some form until you are called forth by God, or what is called Judgment Day. Religious beliefs about life after death vary greatly, and could be the subject of another paper.
My purpose is not to convince anyone that there is a spirit world, and that we can communicate with those who are there. It is simply to describe what that spirit world may look like, based on the spirit communications of the writers that lived at the time that Spiritualism was at its height in the late 1800s.
Definitions
Medium - "One whose organism is sensitive to vibrations from the spirit world and through whose instrumentality, intelligences in that world are able to convey messages and produce the phenomena of Spiritualism" (National Spiritualist Association of Churches, 1991, p. 40).
A medium is one who communicates with entities in the spirit world.
Spirit world - The term used by Spiritualists for the dwelling place for those who have died, or left their physical bodies.
Spiritualism - "The science, philosophy and religion of continuous life, based upon the demonstrated fact of communication, by means of mediumship, with those who live in the spirit world" (NSAC, 1991, p.40).
Spiritualist - "One who believes, as the basis of his or her religion, in the communication between this and the spirit world by means of mediumship and who endeavors to mold his or her character in accordance with the highest teachings derived from such communication" (NSAC, 1991, p. 4

THE ROLE OF TEAM WORK IN MANAGING MODERN ORGANIZATIONS

The object of this paper is to document the cardinal roles of teamwork in managing modern organizations as a way forward to expanding business management opportunities in Uganda’s public sector in the 21st century.

Teamwork plays a multitude of roles, in managing modern organizations. Indeed if emphasis is put onto it, by the public sector in Uganda, business management opportunities shall expand in the 21st century as we are going to see shortly.
My paper is organized in to three parts; the introduction, body and conclusion.

The public sector in Uganda includes a wide range of governmental organizations or agencies involved in different activities for the welfare and development of society. These include; the civil service- government ministries, local authorities responsible for internal government administration, implementation of public policy and service delivery.

The public enterprises which started during colonial rule and proliferated following the establishment of Uganda development corporation in 1952 with the intent of; taking commanding heights of the economy, spear heading industrial development which the indigenous private sector was incapable of undertaking due to lack of capital and the lastly through them an attempt was made to create a managerial cadre and to indigenize the economy. (Tukahebwe, 2000:1).
Today, just a few of these are remaining most have been privatized.
Regulatory agencies- created to regulate market failure and to ensure the well being of citizens, these include the central Bank, civil Aviation authority, Uganda national bureau of standards and National Drug authority all of which assumes the role of protecting interests of citizens.
Central agencies which cut across government ministries and their role are to coordinate. They include the central tender board, central Purchasing Corporation and the treasury.
The judiciary and the court systems, these settle disputes, interpret and enforce the law and ensure that justice is done (constitution of Uganda 1995:83).
The army as a public sector institution is charged with the ensuring security of the state and its citizenry, preserving and defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Uganda among others (Constitution of Uganda, 1995:134).

And lastly the legislature which makes public policies/laws, of the country (Constitution of Uganda 1995:49).
Uganda’s public sector has got many problems. Team working in the public sector is budding and traditional bureaucratic structures with traditional rules of the thumb featuring prominently, organizational structures are highly hierarchical with rudimentary appraisal techniques such as confidential report, graphic scales method, and straight ranking methods among others.

For purposes of this work, we shall draw our working definition of team work from Michael Armstrong (2003). He defines team work as a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.
Armstrong identifies characteristics of effective teams as:

Basic units of performance for most organizations they meld together the skills, experiences and insights of several people.


Team work applies to the whole organization as well as specific teams. It represents a set of values that encourage behaviors such as listening and responding cooperatively to points of view expressed by others, giving others the benefit of doubt, providing support to those who need it and recognizing the interests and achievements of others.

Teams are created and energized by significant performance challenges.
Teams out perform individuals acting alone in large organizational groupings especially where performance requires multiple skills, judgment and experiences.
Teams are flexible and responsive to changing events and demands. They can adjust their approach to new information and challenges with greater speed accuracy and effectiveness than can individuals caught in the web of larger organizational conventions.
High performance teams invest much time and effort exploring, shaping and agreeing on a purpose that belongs to them both collectively and individually. They are characterized by a deep sense of commitment to their growth and success.

Team work in the case of the public sector in Uganda, manifests in form of committees task forces instituted by government to carry out investigations on issues deemed unpalatable by the general public. Stoner et al, (1995) identifies two traditional types of teams that have existed in organizations namely; Formal and informal.
He identifies a committee as a type of a formal team, which generally lasts along time and deals with recurrent problems and decisions. He further contends that some formal teams are temporary. They may be called task forces or project teams. These teams are created to deal with a specific problem and are usually disbanded when the task is completed or the problem is solved.

A multitude of commissions of inquiry (namely that on the mismanagement of the Global fund, the Sebutinde commission of inquiry into the purchase of junk helicopters and others in the police force and the National tax body, then the public service review commission) that have been instituted by the government is manifestation of team work in the public sector despite its limited role and scope.

As we look forward to expanding Business management opportunities in the 21st century, we need to desist from the old paradigm of organizational structure premised on the assumptions of hierarchy that top leadership knows all the answers and is in charge of the goals and work processes for the organization for this is incompatible with team work and team building.
Also team work assignments needs to address specific concrete issues rather than broad generalizations evident in the public sector.

Further more, team membership must be based on what each member can achieve and the skills that each has rather than on the formal authority or organizational position of the person. This is common with the public sector in Uganda, we need to stop it.

Teams will work only if the traditional hierarchical pattern of communication and interaction is broken down for it is not the position you hold that is important but what you can contribute to the team.

The emerging team paradigm is constructed on new assumption that knowledge and therefore insight and answers are found throughout the organization in the abilities and know how of all organizational members when brought together in teams. In this model goals are mutually determined and work processes are built around teams of experts. Stoner et al, (1995) further asserts that with organizational environment likely to remain unstable and turbulent, the flexibility and adaptability created by teams is a significant advantage. It is predicted that teamwork will replace hierarchy as a dominant form of organization in the twenty first century the demise of the old authoritarian hierarchies, from the USSR to general motors is a global historical phenomenon that none can evade.
Businesses of the 21st century will be organized some what like a movie production company. Teams of specialists will come together for a specific project and then move on into other teams in the same or other organizations. The only condition for success is that managers no matter whether from public or private sector organizations must share both power and responsibility with teams of people who were once disempowered by the rigid bureaucratic lines of authority. This is very true of the public sector in Uganda.

Whereas today’s private sector organizations are characterized by: flatter, leaner and fitter organizations structures, public sector organizations are still hierarchical emphasizing pharisaic observance of rules and regulations. However waves of change have spread out to the public sector organizations. a lot of changes have taken place. The public sector is undergoing a transformation process which has cultivated team spirit as stoner (1995) notes: the downsizing of many corporations creating flatter organizations with fewer middle managers available to manage in the traditional hierarchical manner has freed organizations to move fully empower organization members into true teams.

Teamwork plays many roles and these go beyond managing modern organizations; and indeed are compatible with the idea of expanding business management opportunities in the 21st century. Stoner (1995) laments that the team phenomenon is particularly suited to the era of information technology and globalization. Information highways and networks connect teams from all over the continent and the globe facilitating the exchange of information and creation ideas. Global alliances create new opportunities to use multinational teams to develop cooperation and creative exchange. Global alliances will seem like “standard operating procedure” in the next century as multinational teams create new ventures for an exciting future.

Similarly, (Griffin 2001:328) contend that the reason to create teams is because teams make sense for that organization. The best reason to start teams in any organization is the positive benefits, reduced costs, improved organizational communication, benefits of expanded job training, improved employee motivation, organizational flexibility and organizational enhancements.

Enhanced performance can come in many forms, including improved productivity, quality and customer service. Working in teams enables workers to avoid wasted efforts, reduced errors and react better to customers, resulting in more output for each unit of employee input. Such enhancement emanate from pooling of individual efforts in new ways and from striving to continuously improve for the benefit of the team.
In addition, employees tend to benefit as much as organizations in a team environment.

Moorhead and Griffin (2001) asserts that much attention has focused on the differences between the baby-boom generation and the “post boomers” in attitudes toward work, its importance to their lives and what they want from it. Young workers tend to be less satisfied with their work and the organization, to have lower respect for authority and supervision, and to want more than a paycheck every week. Teams can provide a sense of self-control, human dignity, identification with the work, and sense of self worth and self fulfillment that current and future workers seem to strive for.

Furthermore, rather than relying on traditional hierarchical manager-based system, teams give employees freedom to grow and gain respect and dignity by managing themselves, making decisions about their work and really making a difference in the world around them. Consequently, employees have a better work life, face less stress at work and make less use of employee assistance programs. The reverse is true of the public sector in Uganda.

Motivation is an important factor which encourages persons to give their best performance and help in reaching enterprise goals. It is the core of management which shows that every human being gives a sense of worth in face-to-face groups which are most important.
Gupta and Joshi (2004) notes that teams are an effective means for management to democratize their organization and increase employee motivation. work teams encourage employee involvement and individuals are likely to perform better when they are working in the presence of other people. Individuals will work harder and put in a lot of extra efforts to remain in the teams good graces.

The performance of public sector organizations in Uganda is hampered by surging administrative costs, which make these organizations inefficient and less effective. Moorhead and Griffin (2001) posit that as empowered teams reduce absenteeism and turnover, organizations based on teams are showing significant cost reductions. Team members feel that they have a stake in the outcomes, want to make contributions because they are valued and are committed to their team and do not want to let it down. We must embrace team work as a cost cutting mechanism this will help us expand business management opportunities in the 21st century.

Communication constitutes a very important function of management. Nothing happens in management. Nothing happens in management until communication takes place. Effective communication helps management in maintaining good relations with workers, customers, suppliers, shareholders, government and community at large. As teams encourage interactions, it will lead to improved communication in the organization. Gupta and Joshi (2004) believe that incase of self managed teams interpersonal dependences are created which require the members to interact considerably more than when they work on jobs alone. Cross functional teams create inter-functional dependences and increase organization wide communication.

The process of team development takes time for teams to go through the full development cycle and become mature, efficient and effective. this calls for the re-organization of organizational processes and structures. The implementation of team work always leads to expanded jobs training. Through this training employees build their; technical, decision making and interpersonal skills
(Gupta and Joshi 2004)

As we strive to expand business management opportunities in the 21st century, it is imperative that we change our public sector organizations to team-based organization where roles of public sector managers will change to that of coaches and facilitators. This will enhance organizational flexibility. Teams are more flexible and responsive to changing events than are traditional departments or other forms of permanent groupings. They encourage cross training so members can do each others jobs and expansion of skills. This expansion of skills increases organizational flexibility (Gupta and joshi, 2004:28.5).

Finally teamwork brings about organizational enhancements which are essential in managing modern organizations. Moorhead and Griffin (2001) identifies other improvements in organizations that result from moving from a hierarchically based, directive culture to a team-based culture to include; increased innovation creativity and flexibility.

Use of teams can eliminated redundant layers of bureaucracy and flatters the hierarchy in large organizations.

Employees feel closer and more in touch with top management .employees who feel their efforts are important and more likely to make significant contributions. in addition ,the team environment constantly challenges teams to innovate and solve problems creatively. If the “same old way” does not work, empowered teams are free to throw it out and develop a new way. With increasing global competition, organizations must constantly adopt to keep abreast of changes.

In conclusion, team work plays a multiplicity of roles in managing modern organizations. These range from; enhanced performance, employee benefits reduced costs, improved communication, benefits of expanded job training improved employee motivation, organizational flexibility. transforming public sector organizations into team –based organizations ,can eliminate redundant layers of bureaucracy and flatten the hierarchy in large organizations .this will not only make them more efficient and effective but also business management opportunities shall expand in the 21st century.
















REFERENCES

Armstrong, Michael (2003). A Hand book of Human Resource Management Practice; (London and sterling: Kogan page) 9th Edition.

Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995) Law development centre, Kampala.

Tukahebwa G. “The politics of privatization in Uganda paper presented in a workshop entitled: Transformation and challenges to Development in Uganda, Held at Jinja Uganda 2nd – 4h may, 2000.

Gupta Shashi K and Joshi Rosy (2004) Human Resource Management,Kalyani publishers New Delhi – 110002. Ajit Printers, old Maujpur Shahdara, Delhi – 53.

Moorhead Gregory and Griffin Ricky W. (2001). Organizational behavior, managing people and organizations Houghton Mifflin Company, U.S.A. sanjeev offset printers Delhi.

Stoner et al, Management, sixth edition (1995) prentice Hall Inc. New Jersey USA/New Delhi

Tukahebwa G. “The politics of privatization in Uganda” paper presented in a workshop entitled: Transformation and challenges to Development in Uganda, Held at Jinja Uganda 2nd – 4h may, 2000.

LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN RELATIONS IS A NECESSITY TODAY. EXAMINE THE PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Introduction

Definition
Information technology is the practical science of knowledge applied for purposes of improving technical process used in manufacturing networks and codefied information systems that increases the productivity of machines while eliminating manual operation or the operation done by older machines.
While prospects are an action of foresight or anticipated changes in IT and challenges are the negative effects arising from IT.

Information technology is changing radicaly and is bringing radical changes and opportunism to our economic, social and political spheres of life. However along with opportunities are challenges for information systems users and managers every where across the globe.

The failure to use information technology is becoming as negative as the refusal to attend school. It is a choice between being left out or benefiting from enormous benefits of information technology.

Prospects of information technology

Innovations in IT
The prospects of information technology for Africa are tremendous. Nowadays it is becoming increasingly difficult to run an institution without using computers. Desktop machines are replacing traditional office typewriters. Information technology that can be used, maintained and developed by the indigenous professionals is crucial. Education and training is a key to building indigenous capacity that helps reduce dependence on developed world, and to cut under-utilisation of existing resources in order to help to apply technology for solving local complex problems.

No other region is more in publishing crisis than Africa. The book famine can be compared to the food shortage in the region. Publishing as well as getting what is published is a nightmare. Libraries in schools and public libraries have continued to decline in holdings of up-to-date books, reports and journals. The revolution in information technology is the most promising rescue to the weak publishing industry in Africa.
Personal computers have made much easier the production of newspapers, magazines, books, retail flyers, cards among others, by individuals. The equipments to manage IT system stations are ever becoming cheaper every day has undergone though a significant transformation since 1990’s when modern IT had just come into the county. For example mobile phones and computers were used by only ministers and tycoons in the city, because a Nokia -5210 costed over a million shillings but today you can as well get it as low as Shs. 50,000.
The emergency of CD-ROM
The ever dropping cost of drives, discs and CD-ROM titles boosted the availability of CD-ROM to users in developing countries. The development in personal mastering equipment, with tools that cut the traditional steps in pre-mastering and mastering a CD, has created wider opportunities for preserving archives in developing countries with little efforts in digitising them. For example in 1960s-70s, those in the music industry stored their songs on gramophone and record player discs the size of a big plate with only four songs, then cassette tapes with 6-8 songs, but today a digital cassette discs can accommodate about/over twenty and we hear of a CD which can run music a whole day in some of the developed countries.
The Pan African Development Information System is working on the first Africa based CD-ROM using information from Africa. The increasing speed and power in reading multi-media has facilitated CD application in education, research, computing, and entertainment, delivery of information to users at remote sites or on a network. It has greatly increased access to information.
.
Multi-media has expanded the opportunities for increased availability of data bases on CD-ROM ranging from chemical abstracts, medicine, population information, agriculture etc. Its potential for making information available without connect charges and time limit, makes it suitable technology to African information access problems.

16. Training in use of CD-ROM technology should not be underestimated. Users should get training in areas such as CD-ROM data base preparation for personal mastering, troubleshooting, CD-ROM searches, CD-ROM networking and information access. Basic computer training in operating systems makes usage of CD-ROM technology for information exchange, access, download and upload easier.

The introduction of Networking
Electronic networking is a technique to link information users using computers and communication channels. The role of computers in cutting the time needed for processing and exchange of information is fundamental. Communication channels reduce the distance between users. For example before computers at the university, when a student went to the library, he started at the subject catalogue, after then walk to the book bank section to have a book of ones choice or else kept climbing up and down stairs from Africana down to IDA to access other books, but today one just sits before an internet connected computer and does every thing there.

20. Recent advances in networking have forced commercial service providers to connect to the Internet. This has made access easier and reduced the cost of communications over networks. Subscribers are charged only for on-line access and printing. The availability of public access catalogues including access to Library on the Internet has created a wide range of alternatives for users of commercial on-line systems.

22. Universities that have discovered the enormous benefits of access to information have raced towards building Campus Wide Information Systems that provide access to local information including On-line Public Access Catalogues. This has made universal sharing of information easier and prompted increases in inter-library loans.


Government’s role
Government has played and should play active roles in diffusing the technologies to colleges, universities and schools. The use of Internet is a boost to graduate research in Africa. Connectivity helps to open the window to global knowledge for Africa. In addition to deploying information technology in education, governments should promote the use of information technology in the public communication media, including printed and audio-visual media, telecommunication and postal services. Information systems in business, finance, health, legal, science and technology should also be encouraged to use appropriate information technology and the government’s tax free policy on computers will boost IT prospects in the country.
Governments should develop better policies for equitable access to Information Technology even to the poorest local person in remote areas. They need information about market prices, hybrid seeds, farm inputs, among others. The need to provide equitable access should not undercut connection of information delivery agencies, business and private institutions to high bandwidth networks. Appropriate information and communication policies are the basis for building regional information infrastructure for socio-economic and political development.
In addition, not all teaching staff, administrators and students, and the civil society is computer literate.
The future of Uganda’s IT lies in training, facilities should be made, such as seminars, workshops, talks and hands-on-experience for each selected institution.
To build the capacity for computer networking the implementors should be ready to train a corps of systems operators who will train others and offer continuing support for sustainability. Since there are few personnel in schools and colleges knowledgeable in computer technology, there is every need to incorporate and develop local human resources. This will be essential in generating sustainability of the programme in both the short and long term
There is need to promote the Internet to a largely unaware school and college population, graphic designers should be employed to produce leaflets and brochures and these should be distributed freely. Free publicity in the form of articles in some of the country's leading newspapers, radio/TV adverts and jingles could suffice.
Challenges of information technology
These promises have also generated significant problems. Security, privacy, cultural erosion, equity of access, etc. are at the top of the list. Developing countries will continue to suffer from low access to networking technology. The gap will widen not as the result of lack of technical solutions but due to infrastructural and political problems. This is nowhere more truly than in Africa, where socio-economic and political insecurity is ever hiking.
Although there is now growing recognition of the far-reaching impact of telecommunications and networking on the economies of African countries, a number of problems restrict its diffusion through public institutions. Information users in Africa have the lowest literacy levels. More than half of Africa's population is illiterate. Over half of those literate can not gather information for problem solving. Most users struggle with everyday life. The availability of hundreds of local languages without interface to global knowledge resources has made access to information more difficult. The near absence of information seeking culture has continued to impede progress towards achieving universal access. Shortage of financial and human resources, lack of knowledge on the availability of potential tools, low level telecommunications infrastructure, and rapid changes in technology are all affecting acting the diffusion of networking technology.
Apart from socio-economic and political difficulties that have left many countries unconnected, the underdevelopment of the telecommunication infrastructure remains the major cause of access in the region. Data shows that telecommunications diffusion in Africa is the weakest in the world with the least tele-density. ITU reports indicate that the average telephones per 100 people in Africa were 1.6 in 1993. With an ever growing population the tele-density remains stagnant even if marginal increases in main telephone lines are achieved in some countries. Some countries have showed a negative growth rate in telecommunications density due to socio-economic problems, population growth, foreign debt, fall off in export earning and the need to import most telecommunications equipment.

Telecom policies vary considerably in Africa. In Uganda the tariff is several fold of that of the developed world. Telecom policies have become not only rigid but also have evolved as a perceived threat to socio-economic development. Even under connection queues for three to four years in some countries in Africa and telecom profitability in very high margin, the inadequate policies and incompetence of telecommunications management in most countries blocks achievement of the right to communicate, socio-economic development and universal access.
The potential of information technology in development activities that improve the quality of life, efficiency of social and economic organisation and its cohesion is evident. African countries need information and communication policy adjustment to share the promises of the rapid changes in information technology. Information policy adjustment involves appreciation of the significance of information technology in life long learning, trade, employment, accountability and better management of resources and environment.
Information technology, properly designed, can be deployed even in regions that lack adequate water, food and power. IT represents the biggest chances for major leapfrog in development, growth and poverty alleviation if African countries can fulfill necessary conditions for networking, agility, learning and reliability.
Computers are not widely available in Uganda. The vast majority of computers in many educational institutions are out-dated donated models. Overall there are far too few computers to distribute Internet access widely in educational institutions. Similarly, the number of skilled computer personnel in schools and colleges is relatively small. Top quality staff commands high salaries and other fringe benefits such as housing and transport that are beyond the reach of government funded, educational institutions.
The use of on-line access in developing countries is subject to the availability of resources. The high telecommunication tariffs and unreliable telecommunications infrastructure makes online access to commercial data bases impractical. Connectivity to the Internet will facilitate access to on-line commercial and free data bases.

























BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adam, L. (1995): The prospect of networking in Africa, Http:/www.sas.upenn.edu (HTML).
Benzene, D.(1995): Accessing and using the Internet. TSS/CST Workshop on data collection, processing, dissemination and utilization. United Nations, New York, May 1995.

Charles, R. (1994): "User-based data collection techniques and strategies for evaluating networked information services," Library Trends, volume 42, number 4, pp. 591-6O7.

Jensen, M. (1995): Telematics for development in Africa: A global Context. Paper presented at Regional Symposium on Telematics for Development in Africa. UNECA, Addis Ababa, April 1995.

Obenaus, G. (1994): "The Internet: an electronic treasure trove," Aslib proceedings, volume 46, number 4, pp. 95-100.

LESLEY GORE

The most commercially successful solo singer to be identified with the girl group sound, Lesley Gore hit the number one spot with her very first release, "It's My Party," in 1963. Produced by Quincy Jones, who fattened the teenager's sound with double-tracked vocals and intricate backup vocals and horns, she reeled off a few more big hits in 1963 and 1964, including "Judy's Turn to Cry," "She's a Fool," "You Don't Own Me," "That's the Way Boys Are," and "Maybe I Know." She wasn't the most soulful girl group singer by a long shot, but she projected an archetype of female adolescent yearning. Her best songs survive as classics, particularly the irrestistibly melodic "Maybe I Know" and "Look of Love" (both written by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry) and "You Don't Own Me," an anthem of independence with a feminist theme that was considerably advanced for early 1964.So what was Quincy Jones doing producing a White suburban teenager who had never recorded before? A couple of demos she recorded with her vocal coach made their way to Mercury's president, who recommended her to Jones, the label's A&R head. For their first session, Gore and Jones picked "It's My Party" out of a pile of about 200 demos. The "It's My Party" single was rush-released when Jones found out that Phil Spector had plans to record the same song with the Crystals."It's My Party" and the weaker sequel, "Judy's Turn to Cry," have given Gore a somewhat unfair bratty image. Those are the hits that are remembered the most, but much of her subsequent material was both more mature (or, perhaps more accurately, less immature) and stronger. The singles were also very well-produced, with orchestral arrangements (by Claus Ogermann) that hewed closer to mainstream pop than Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Retrospectives of Quincy Jones' career usually downplay or omit his work with Gore, although it was among his most commecially successful; he's known now for recordings that are, well, funkier. But his success with Gore did a lot to build his already impressive résumé within the industry.Gore appeared on the legendary T.A.M.I. Show alongside such heavyweights as the Rolling Stones, James Brown, and Smokey Robinson, but after 1964 her star plummeted rapidly. Mercury was still investing a lot of care in her sessions throughout the rest of the '60s, and her material and arrangements showed her capable of greater stylistic range than many acknowledged. But after the mid-'60s, Jones no longer worked with the singer on a regular basis. "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" (1965) and "California Nights" (1967), both of which were co-written by Marvin Hamlisch, would be her only Top 20 entries after 1964. She played the cabarets after her days as an active recording artist, and eventually had some success as a songwriter for other performers. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide